Adapt and overcome: Security in the year 2020 and how much has changed

By Michael J. Fagel, PhD, CEM, CPOI

Adapt and overcome

These must be the key words as our security professionals take on the challenges of what our world (literally) has become in the first quarter of 2020.

The professional Security Officer of today must be prepared for challenges that were never even on our radar just 6 months ago.

Today, our officers must not only be the eyes and ears of prevention and deterrence. Our officers must now fully understand the threats and hazards all first responders and detectors must fully embrace for their own safety.

We have often taught about:

--Awareness
-- Environment
-- Laws
-- Procedures
-- Dress
-- Reports
-- Customer Service

I learned all of those things back in the 1970s when I first entered the security field in an industrial site, and then on to a university campus.

JOIN the IFPO with a corporate, individual or student membership

Before I swore my oath as a law enforcement officer, I had clocked hundreds of hours carrying a DETEX clock, flashlight and done hundreds of tours after only being shown the “ropes” once by the “supervisor.”

Those days I thought were over, but, sadly , today, many officers are greeted with a frantic phone call, hurry up and met at site X, as “Charlie or Jane called off sick for their 12 hour shift. You’ve got to learn the rounds as I have to go visit other accounts."

That happened then, and it happens today.

This must change as now, we ALL have an unseen enemy that is lurking for each and every one of us -- the COVID-19 virus.

Remember, a bacterium is as big as a Buick (figuratively) while the virus is the size of the cell phone in the glove box of the Buick, a strand of DNA.

We must protect ourselves by using appropriate PPE at all times, something that is not usually taught in any security officer training class ( except when I worked as a nuclear site officer).

Castle Defense 360 announces date for its Certified Security Operations Specialist course

Today, we must practice proper donning and doffing of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment):

-- Gloves
-- Gowns
-- Masks
-- Sanitizer

And we MUST NOT take these unseen enemies home.
We must decontaminate before we enter our own car to drive home to our families.
We must not enter the house, office or apartment with “contaminated” uniforms, shoes etc. from the field.
It is invisible, but the danger is there.

Please follow all CDCgov/covid19 requirements for PPE
The life you safe WILL be your own and that of your family, and the people we all serve.

Mike
Michael J Fagel, PhD,CEM, CPOI

Wash YOUR hands, Decontaminate, USE PPE, safe a life. YOURS!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Get certified and take your security career to the next level!

The International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) is dedicated to providing meaningful and cost effective security training for security guards and protection officers.

We believe that education is a necessary and essential part of professional security training and the security officer’s background. IFPO serves individuals, security companies, and organizations that have their own private security staff. Our students and members benefit from the recognition and standing that the prestigious IFPO certification conveys.

LIKE and FOLLOW the IFPO on Facebook!

International Foundation for Protection Officers Mission Statement

Mission Statement Part I.

The International Foundation for Protection Officers provides professional learning opportunities for security practitioners, to impart the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to maximize job performance and enhance career potential.

Purpose: to make a positive difference in the quality of the participant’s job performance and elevate the professional status of students who partake of our learning opportunities.

Business: to supply committed security practitioners with a quality education to help achieve their highest potential and provide recognized accreditation for successful completion of educational goals.

Values: commitment, integrity, responsibility, and standards of excellence, provide the platform that supports our journey as we pursue our mission.

Vision Statement

Commitment to Excellence: To be the recognized center of excellence and primary provider of education and training products and services to the security industry.

Mission Statement Part II.

“The International Foundation for Protection Officers is committed to the support and professional development of protection officers and supervisors. Through advocacy, promoting training standards, and providing accessible training, education and certification opportunities, we seek to enhance their professional standing as well as increase and diversify the value of the vital services they provide.”